A Week of Research Instead of Classes: Junior Engineer Academy at TU Dresden

What’s it like to be on a holodeck? Why can airplanes weighing several metric tons fly? How are microchips made? And is it actually possible to put CO₂ to good use? For 28 students at the Junior Engineering Academy (JIA) of the Tschirnhaus Gymnasium in Dresden, these questions were explored in early June—not in the classroom, but directly in the laboratories and research centers of the School of Engineering Sciences at TU Dresden.

The Junior Engineering Academy is a two-year elective course for 8th and 9th graders, initiated by the Deutsche Telekom Foundation. It bridges the gap between school, science, and industry and provides early insights into technology and engineering. Since 2022, TU Dresden has been supporting the Ehrenfried-Walther-Tschirnhaus Gymnasium in implementing the program and bringing current research into everyday school life. During the intensive week, the students swapped classroom lessons for hands-on research. The focus was on experiments, programming, and current research topics—with the goal of giving students first-hand experience with scientific methods.

The program spanned both digital and real-world research environments: In immersive settings such as the Holodeck and a Minecraft-based robotics simulation, participants programmed their own applications, developed AI-supported solutions, and controlled both virtual and real-world systems.

At the same time, they worked on applications in aviation, tackled challenges related to autonomous construction machinery, and visited the TUD’s wind tunnel. The fundamentals of process engineering and the natural sciences were also covered: In the microelectronics cleanroom, the manufacturing of modern semiconductors was made accessible, while in chemical engineering, processes for CO₂ capture and potential reuse were investigated. In further experiments, plastic recycling cycles were tested in practice, and materials were processed directly.

The program was complemented by investigations into materials and sustainable resources: The students analyzed wood in terms of its mechanical properties, acoustic behavior, and malleability, and tested bio-based oil binders to determine their effect on water surfaces. The social dimension of technology also played a role. With the help of AI-supported applications, the participants reflected on how technological developments shape career paths and what interactions exist between innovation, everyday life, and societal expectations.

At the closing event, the students presented their findings in a poster forum on campus. The diversity of the projects demonstrated the breadth of the topics covered—ranging from digital systems and robotics to microelectronics and sustainable technologies. In this way, the JIA combines school-based learning with practical research and gives students direct access to current scientific questions.

Further information:
More about the Junior Engineer Academy
https://www.telekom-stiftung.de/aktivitaeten/junior-ingenieur-akademie

TU Dresden offers many other opportunities and projects for students to develop an early interest in STEM subjects ( science, technology, engineering, andmathematics).
https://tu-dresden.de/studium/vor-dem-studium/uni-testen

Contact:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
School Liaison Office
Nadja Bauer
nadja.bauer@​TU Dresden.de

Contact:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering
University Marketing & STEM Promotion
Sebastian Sotero